Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 13) —Environmental organization Greenpeace Philippines has called on the public to join calls to demand that the government and corporations reduce their carbon dioxide output, underscoring there are just nine years left to decarbonize and embrace renewable resources to avoid the “worst impacts” of climate change.
“As individuals, we could also get together in collective action to get the government and corporations to change, to create an energy transition,” Greenpeace Philippines country director Lea Guerrero said in a taped interview with CNN Philippines’ New Day that aired on Tuesday.
“Unless we shift to a massive uptick of renewable energy and ensure that we decarbonize in the next nine years…by then we could avert the worst impacts of climate change,” Guerrero stressed.
The advocate pointed out individual actions such as reducing plastic use and shifting to human-powered modes of travel such as cycling are “good,” but solutions to climate change must be “driven by government policies and regulations and changes in corporation practices.”
Guerrero said what is accelerating climate change is the “rampant use” of fossil fuel. In the Philippines, she said the transport and energy sectors are the biggest producers of fossil fuel.
Lessons from COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a reminder that the health of the planet is linked to people’s survival and well-being, Guerrero pointed out.
She said lockdowns due to the crisis brought to the fore proposals and initiatives to build greener spaces such as bike lanes, as the temporary suspension of mass transport and business operations have improved air quality.
